ABSTRACT
During Mao's era, China's economic systems were essentially centralized: the state attempted to control the Chinese economy, although state policy shifted constantly. Moreover, China was largely isolated from the outside world, as a result of Mao's self-reliance policy and the antagonism of Western countries towards China. While Mao's China, like other countries under state socialism, emphasized urban-centered industrialization through the development of heavy industry, national defense and spatial equality were also considered as major principles guiding regional development and industrial distribution. While considerable work has been done in understanding China's economic and political systems, scholars still disagree whether regional inequality under Mao declined, due to data constraints and differences in methods.
